Siri Sangha Bodhi I, also known as Siri Sanghabodhi, was a monarch of

Anuradhapura Anuradhapura ( si, අනුරාධපුරය, translit=Anurādhapuraya; ta, அனுராதபுரம், translit=Aṉurātapuram) is a major city located in north central plain of Sri Lanka. It is the capital city of North Central ...

in the 3rd century, whose reign lasted from 252 to 254. He succeeded Sangha Tissa I as

King of Anuradhapura The Anuradhapura Kingdom ( Sinhala: , translit: Anurādhapura Rājadhāniya, Tamil: ), named for its capital city, was the first established kingdom in ancient Sri Lanka related to the Sinhalese people. Founded by King Pandukabhaya in 437 B ...

and was succeeded by

Gothabhaya Gothabhaya, also known as Meghavannabhaya, Gothakabhaya and Goluaba, was a king of the Anuradhapura Kingdom of Sri Lanka whose reign lasted from 254 to 267. During his reign, Gothabhaya renovated several temples and monasteries and also built a n ...

. Siri Sanghabodhi's story of devotion to Buddhism is told in the Mahāvaṃsa. The king was said to have been so committed to the Buddha's teachings that he refused to execute criminals. When his prime minister led a rebellion against him, he could not bear the thought of the bloodshed that would result from putting down the rebellion, so he voluntarily abdicated and retired to the forest to live as an ascetic. The prime minister, now King Gathabhaya, fearing the return of the rightful king, offered a reward to anyone who would bring him the head of Siri Sanghabodh. One day, a poor peasant shared his meal with Siri Sanghabodh who, having nothing to give him in return, informed the man of his identity and offered him his head, decapitating himself. Siri Sanghabodh is regarded as a great Buddhist saint in Sri Lanka.

References

External links

Kings & Rulers of Sri Lanka

Codrington's Short History of Ceylon
S S S S {{SriLanka-hist-stub

See also

References

External links